Summer Holidays ain't what they used to be.

Because they used to be like this - days on end at the Lido or the beach with my friends, reading loads of books and magazines, drawing, writing...all in the seemingly endless weeks until the new school year.

Now, they are like this... (my actual diary)


Take note, kids. Make the most of those Summer holidays and don't complain at all the things you can't do yet because you're a kid. Because one day, this diary, this August, this mind, will be yours. Being an adult is not all it's cracked up to be.

Illustration Friday - Idle

Just a little pencil drawing. I'd like to be idle sometimes but it rarely happens!

Belatedly...

Here are the pics from Race For Life...

Before:And after!

With me is my friend Hayley - straight after doing this we went to a 4-hour dress rehearsal for our show. It's all good fun though.

Thanks again to everyone who sponsored me. You will be receiving a minuscule gift in the near future.

Swine Flew

My first go at digital colouring.

This week

Lovely Poppies

I just noticed that my last post was my 100th one. If I'd realised before I would have made more of an effort.

Well once again life's been extremely hectic. Just taken part in a show with my dance school, which was crazy, fun, exhausting and a little bit sad for reasons I won't bore you with!


Had an hour at my studio this morning and did this with my new Ecoline inks...

I like using them - need more practice though. This woman has been filed away in my mind for a few days now. I saw her on the bus and I felt sorry for her - she looked really frail and kind of lonely. But then the bus went past a field with some patches of poppies in. Her face absolutely lit up and she said to herself, "Oh, lovely poppies!"

It was lovely to see - and it made me think, why should I have felt sorry for her and assumed she was unhappy just because she's old, when she clearly takes pleasure from the simple things in life...something we should all do I reckon.

Nightmares and studio antics

Hello! I woke up in a funny mood today because last night my mind decided to treat me to a good old-fashioned horror film style nightmare. It involved trying to escape from a large building where scary home movies of spooky children were projected in weird places. I saw a living dead type woman with concrete blocks for a head who was begging me to help her (and I did - by breathing on her gravestone and bringing her back to life, of course!) It was very strange. Loads and loads of my dreams, even the not so scary ones are set in this huge building - a complex and claustrophobic place, sometimes without any windows. Come on, location guys - find me some new sets, I don't like this building!


Anyway this morning, determined not to get involved in any of that housework malarkey, I went to my studio early. As a sort of warm-up, I made this for myself, a cuff bracelet thingy, using some nice old groovy material and buttons I had. Then I did some burnishing on the etching plate I started at BIP yesterday - hope to show you that in in a couple of weeks, as BIP is closed next week. (What will I do!?)

Thought for the day...whatever happened to earwigs? I haven't seen one for years! I think they must have been a 1970s fad like Spangles, Shaker Makers and cheesecloth.

Things I Wanted To Post Here But Couldn't

1. A drawing of the old lady I saw on the bus whose face lit up when she saw poppies in a field.

2. A photo of me finishing Race For Life.

3. My "this week" drawing.

4. A photo of me standing in the doorway of my new cottage with nice garden, granny annexe (mum installed) and studio.


Here are my excuses:-

1. I didn't have time to finish the drawing. It's still in my head though.

2. My friend hasn't sent it to me yet. Come on, Hayley!

3. I can't decide between the cat's wee and the 19 disco tops. (Now that's a sentence I never thought I'd say.)

4. I made it up. (Sigh!)

I'm etching today, hurrah! Hang the expense, that's what I say. The trick, I've realised, is not to check the bank balance first - it takes all the pleasure out of it.

Despite this recklessness, I have been trying to be more organised in my life and sort out problems as they occur rather than letting them get worse and worse until I just crumple to the floor crying. (Believe me this isn't an exaggeration). So, I've got my friendly computer expert coming round tonight to sort out the mess I made trying to install virus protection on the computer. And later in the week I've got someone coming to clear my gutters and replace a roof tile. (I book tradesmen! I care about roof tiles! I must be....an adult?! Oh no, I never thought that would happen!)

More sketches

Just sketches this time I'm afraid which I suppose is better than nothing!

These were done at the station going to London, and on the train on the way back. Romeo (my cat) I sketched the other day, but he happens to be on the same page so makes a sneaky appearance. I was disappointed that the man on the bottom of the top page got off before I could draw him. He was shaped like a skittle.

I really like to draw on the way back from London - there's more opportunity, as a lot of people are asleep or at least not alert. I like to observe business people, the sort that drink wine on the train , which the man at the bottom of the bottom page was doing. Their lives are so utterly alien to me and although I get fed up (to say the least) with not having any money, I wouldn't want their lifestyle at all. This man had a nice Hull accent and looked a bit like a more groomed Albert Einstein.

I don't know why but the sketches don't enlarge when you click and they aren't very clear so I feel a failure.

Victoria Station was closed for a few hours because it flooded yesterday - there were massive thunderstorms - so it was a bit of a nightmare getting home and I'm tired. I would like to do nothing today except read and maybe draw - but I have loads of cleaning to do - loads - before my family catch disease from the filth and have to wear fancy dress costumes to the hospital because there are no clean clothes.

Phew...

...I've been so-o-o busy lately what with rehearsals for our dance show, family stuff, and just about everything else you can think of. I'm off to London today to see a special little girl who has a birthday today!

I rustled this up this morning just in case the one I sent to Cbeebies isn't shown!

Thanks to everyone who sponsored me for Race For Life, which I did complete on Sunday (I have the sunburn and medal to prove it!) I raised £125 altogether. A photo will be on here soon when my friend emails it to me, and I promise I will send a little something to everyone kind enough to sponsor me.